Chukuang, Lienchiang

Jyuguang (zh-tpw|t=莒光鄉|p=Jǔguāng|w=Chü³-kuang²), also spelled Chukuang, is a township of Lienchiang County, Republic of China (TAIWAN). Jyuguang Township includes two major Matsu islands -- Dongjyu Island (東莒 "East Jyu" "Dongju") and Sijyu Island (西莒 "West Jyu" "Xiju") -- and some islets. Neither Dongjyu nor Sijyu has an island-wide administrative level.

Administration

Administratively the islands are part of the Lienchiang County.

Both islands have villages as the first-level division within:

* Sijyu Island
** Cingfan Village (青帆村 Qīngfán)
** Siciou Village (西坵村 Xīqīu)
** Tianwo Village (田沃村 Tiánwò)
* Dongjyu Island
** Daping Village (大坪村 Dàpíng)
** Fujhen Village (福正村 Fúzhèn)

History

Dongjyu and Sijyu Islands were Dongcyuan (東犬 Dongquan) and Sicyuan (西犬 Xiquan) Islands, meaning "Eastern Dog" and "Western Dog" respectively. Sometimes they called the Baicyuan Islands (白犬島 Baiquan) or Baiken Islands (白肯島 Baiken).

They were renamed after the speech Chiang Kai-shek quote, "forget not that you're in Jyü" (毋忘在莒). It refers to the City of Jyu, where the king of Qi prepared a counterattack that retook his country from the State of Yan. This is an analogy of Matsu and Taiwan as bases of the Republic of China to regenerate itself and one day recover mainland China from the Chinese communists.

The islands were originally part of the Changle County before the ROC government evacuate to Taiwan. It is considered by the PRC government as part of Changle City of the Fuzhou City.

Geography

Dongjyu, the southernmost of the Matsu Islands, is 2.63 km² and Sijyu 2.36 km². Islets includes like Yongliou (永留嶼 Yongliu) near Dongjyu.

There is one accessible seaport on Sijyu, and two on Dongjyu. Dongjyu is shaped like a dagger, while Sijyu a triangle, so seemingly bigger on maps.

Some cliffs of Dongjyu is severely corroded by wind, creating a strangely aesthetic appearance.

Tourism

The 19.5-metre (54-step) lighthouse on northern Dongjyu, made during the late Qing Dynasty with granite. The guiding light is in the shape of a clam and can reach convert|16.7|nmi|km|1. Dongjyu Lighhouse is a second-level national historic building. In front of the lighthouse, there used to be four mist-cannon for signaling, but has now been removed and placed in the Cultural Museum of Matsu History (馬祖歷史文物館 Matsu Lishi Wenwuguan).

The 42-character Dapu Stone Inscription (大埔石刻), in Dapu Seaport of Dongjyu, was made during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, concerning the capture of pirates alive. Remembering-the-Past Pavilion (懷古亭 Huaigu Ting) was constructed in 1966 sheltering the stone.

In the sea south of the Sijyu, there is Snake Mountain (蛇山). The main island has a small Green-sail Seaport (青帆港), two water reservoirs and a middle-elementary school, but are not major tourist attractions.

ee also

*Administrative divisions of the Republic of China
*List of islands of the Republic of China